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The Sound of The Who comes to Loft – Helios 69-500 preamp

Loft Studios has just added a pair of Helios Type 69-500 preamps – the brainchild of the late, great Dick Swettenham – to our ever-growing arsenal of sonic weaponry. The Rolling Stones had one, The Beatles had two, and now Loft has got its hands on a couple of these blast-from-the-past bits of kit. In its hayday, this gear attracted swarms of musicians to Olympic Studios in the 1970s, as well as servicing the famous ‘Jimi Hendrix Masters’. Its popularity allowed Dick to set up his own enterprise based around the Helios – and now it’s here in Newcastle, at your disposal!

The Helios isn’t a one-trick pony either; it can be used as an outboard EQ to give an authentic, retro sound to electric guitars, reminiscent of the likes of Pink Floyd and The Who, and on snare and kick drums it accentuates the shell and smooths out transients. Adorned with a low cut filter; high shelf; mid, and bass bands, this vintage-vindicator is more than worth checking out, so book a slot with us and give your guitars some Townsend twang!